The Bear’ Stars teases season 3 and will be directed by Ayo Edebiri

Welcome back, chef.

In season 2 of “The Bear,” Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and the rest of the restaurant staff turn their lives upside down to transform their beloved Italian beef shop into the fine dining restaurant of Carmy’s dreams. Now, the third installment of the FX drama series will reveal whether the team can maintain The Bear’s momentum.

In various interviews with Varietyteased the cast’s deeper character relationships, Edebiri’s directorial debut and the discourse on whether the show should be considered a comedy or a drama. They also shared their “non-negotiables” on set – a concept Carmy fixates on this season, as revealed in the trailer, requiring his staff to “push boundaries” and “constantly evolve through creativity” .

Lionel Boyce, who plays pastry chef Marcus, said his non-negotiable on set is “no ego,” while Liza Colón-Zayas, who plays Tina, said hers is “just cool.” White feels passionately about his: “Don’t be an asshole. There just aren’t any allowed on our set.”

But “The Bear” can’t always control who’s on set. Earlier this year, paparazzi leaked photos of the cast shooting a scene set at a funeral.

“It was a disappointment,” White said. “It was very difficult to pretend that that moment could have been something else that was photographed. We had to learn to be a little more careful, and I think our production acted accordingly.”

Speaking alongside her Colon-Zayas, Edebiri described the episode she directed this season as the “peak of artistic collaboration.”

“I feel like I got a masterclass in acting from Liza and from the other actors who got to appear on screen,” Edebiri said. “I feel like I learned so much from our crew, from our camera department… just from everyone. It was truly amazing and an honor to be able to direct an episode showcasing everything Liza can do. I mean, not even everything, like a fraction of the things she can do. She is such a powerhouse.”

Colón-Zayas said it was easy to be directed by Edebiri: “She is open, smart and fearless. So fearless that I watched and put ideas in my head like, “Why can’t I just be so fearless and know that I could take risks like that.” [Edebiri] sailed through it.”

Ebon Moss-Bachrach said that for his character, Cousin Richie, season 3 will be about whether he is able to act based on everything he learned in season 2, especially in the critically acclaimed episode “Forks.”

“He experiences a certain amount of optimism when the proverbial window opens a little,” Moss-Bachrach said. “But to actually put that into practice and make it part of your life. I’ve had relationships, that’s a different story. That’s where all the work is. That’s kind of his journey, and the third season is meant to realize that realization.”

Season 1 of ‘The Bear’ swept the comedy categories at the Emmys, Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, leading many fans and critics to debate whether the show’s darker tones and themes should push toward drama instead. Moss-Bacharach isn’t too concerned with either classification, saying television has crossed the lines of serious versus funny.

“I just think we’re at a more nuanced level, and those kinds of categories are a little bit dusty,” he says. “If you double your efforts, a lot of humor can come from that. It’s not necessarily a joke-heavy show; it’s all character stuff.”